iPad Pro 3: The Ultimate Wish List For The Apple Tablet

Feb 8, 2018 UPDATE – The tablet market has definitely receded significantly over the last few years, which will mean that the iPad Pro 3 is released into a challenging climate.

Apple’s own policies have reflected the extent to which tablet growth has died out, with the consumer electronics giant having opted against releasing any iPad Mini over the last two years.

With the tablet space struggling to attract new consumers, Apple has concentrated its efforts on iPad Pro computers in recent iterations.

Image Source: Benjamin Geskin | Twitter: @VenyaGeskin1

With a 10.5-inch iPad Pro having hit the stores back in June of last year, Apple once more indicated its commitment to this high-spec tablet.

And this means that the likelihood of an iPad Pro 3 release in 2018 is elevated, with some of the most prominent industry analysts already talking about the features to be included in this release.

When is iPad pro 3 launching?

The release date of the iPad Pro 3 has not been divulged as of yet, with Apple keeping characteristically quiet on the tablet.

But the smart money is on the next generation tablet being announced during the World Wide Developers Conference, which will almost certainly take place in June.

Notorious KGI expert Ming-Chi Kuo has already suggested that the iPad Pro 3 will benefit from the Face ID system that has already graced the iPhone series.

As Apple makes a stronger commitment to its innovative security technology, we can expect Face ID to feature even more prominent in its device range.

Code has also been located in a beta version of the iOS operating system that points to a redesigned iPad Pro 3.

Based on this data, a TrueDepth camera is being linked with the iPad Pro 3, with the Animoji feature from the iPhone X likely to migrate to the tablet as well.

This means that the iPad Pro 3 would be capable of creating animated emoji videos using its new camera, while also delivering selfies with a depth effect.

Bloomberg has also reported that the iPad Pro 3 will benefit from Apple’s custom-designed GPU and AI chip.

These previously appeared in the last iPhone generation, while Apple has also been recruiting Qualcomm engineers in an attempt to buttress its own chip technology.

Both iPhone and iPad units have relied on Qualcomm and Intel chips in order to deliver Wi-Fi and LTE, and Apple would love to be more independent in this department.

Elsewhere, it is believed that Apple could eliminate both the 3.5mm headphone jack and Home button from the iPad Pro 3.

Whether this would result in an entirely bezel-less tablet remains to be seen, but certainly Apple tech is generally heading in this direction.

We can also expect a wide range of spec upgrades for the iPad Pro 3, as Apple attempts to make this a must buy unit for consumers and the business sector alike.

Dec 28, 2017 UPDATE – New rumors on the iPad Pro 3 suggest that the tablet will benefit from a particularly potent chipset.

Apple’s iPhone X already impressed in this department, but the iPad Pro 3 is tipped to outstrip even the premium smartphone.

The Chinese website MyDrivers asserts that the upcoming tablet will use an octa-core A11X Bionic chipset.

This would represent a major leap forward for the iPad Pro 3 in comparison to previous releases, and would also be more formidable than the hexa-core A11 Bionic chipset included in the iPhone X.

Reports also indicate that an M11 motion co-processor and a neural processing unit – for AI features – will be included.

Image Source: Benjamin Geskin | Twitter: @VenyaGeskin1

Dec 15, 2017 UPDATE – The latest rumors on the iPad Pro 3 suggest that the Apple tablet may be significantly more powerful than any previous release. An octa-core A11X Bionic chipset is being linked with this premium tablet device, which should ensure that the operation of the iPad Pro 3 is particularly slick.

Octa-core coming

This would represent a significant upgrade from the last generation of the tablet, in which a hexa-core A10X Fusion chipset was used. Apple has favored hexa-core technology in recent technology releases, so it would be an interesting and bold move to switch to an octa-core unit.

Rumors indicate that the cores will be split rather unusually. There will be three powerful Monsoon units, allied by five energy-efficient Mistral cores. It is, of course, more usual to split octa-core processors into two bundles of four cores.

This can be considered pretty reliable information, as it has emanated from the Taiwanese supply chain of Apple.

Sources from the supply chain also indicate that the A11X Bionic will be manufactured using a 7nm process. This would then be trimmed down from the 10nm process utilized for the A11 processor, meaning that the new chip is somewhat more efficient than its predecessor.

With an M11 motion co-processor also set to be included in the iPad Pro 3, the performance of this tablet should be particularly impressive.

Face ID linked

Sources also suggest that a neural processing unit will be included in the tablet for artificial intelligence tasks, strongly hinting that the iPad Pro 3 will benefit from the introduction of Face ID. Apple executives have already indicated that this new innovation is very much the future of security in Apple products.

It is also suggested by the Taiwanese insiders that’s the chipset will be released either unveiled in the first quarter of 2018, or at the beginning of Q2. This means that the iPad Pro 3 can be pencilled in for a March or April release date.

Redesign likely

Among other key features for the next generation of Apple’s premiums tablet will be a redesign of the physical unit. This has obviously just taken place with the iPhone X smartphone, and the iPad Pro 3 is expected to take its cue from the hugely successful mobile.

This will result in a form factor for the iPhone X somewhat resembling the iPhone X, with slimmer bezels and the elimination of the Home button being the most obvious physical manifestations of this policy.

However, the suggestion that Apple could switch to OLED displays with the iPad Pro 3 is now in doubt, as the latest reports suggest that LCD will be utilized due to yield problems with OLED technology.

Apple may also freeze the price of the iPad pro range as it seeks to reinvigorate its iconic tablet computer.

Nov 9, 2017 UPDATE: The general consensus of opinion is that the iPad Pro 3 will feature Face ID functionality. And this prospect had been teased by a new set of concept images, which imagine how this technology may be implemented.

Benjamin Geskin has produced renders of an almost entirely bezel-less iPad Pro featuring the Face ID technology. Geskin was effectively responding to reports from Bloomberg, which suggest that the next generation iPad Pro will indeed adopt the security feature.

Home button to go

Interestingly, the new report also suggests that the next generation iPad will remove the Home button, along with the Touch ID system. This was not mentioned by a similar summary from Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, which nonetheless named Face ID as a major focus of the iPad Pro 3.

Bloomberg also believes that Apple will shift to an OLED display for the iPad Pro 3, listing a couple of possible motivations. It seems that this could actually be cost-effective for Apple, owing to its shift to OLED technology in the iPhone range. Some reports have suggested that the entire iPhone series will be based on the technology in 2018, indicating a significant shift towards the screen technology.

It is also believed that the iPad Pro 3 will feature reduced bezels, as reflected in the Geskin design, while Apple may also be designing a proprietary GPU for the next generation tablet, in line with the existing iPhone X.

Apple Pencil

Other improvements in the iPad Pro 3 generation will likely center around the Apple Pencil. Apple may even go as far as renaming this stylus, as it looks to significantly upgrade the peripheral in 2018. A revolutionary vibration system has been linked with the Apple Pencil previously, so it will be interesting to see whether this sees the light of day.

The Geskin design has already received a great deal of positive feedback on Twitter, with the bezel-less approach enabling the display of the iPad Pro 3 to be increased significantly. The symmetrical appearance is particularly pleasing, while Geskin has also showcased a design that is entirely notch-free.

There will certainly be pressure on Apple to significantly improve its tablet computer in the near future, as the overriding feeling is that the tablet niche has begun to stagnate. Apple has struggled to achieve growth in the iPad series recently, and the iPad Pro 3 must surely deliver a redefining of the tablet concept if it is to convince existing users to upgrade.

Aside from the more revolutionary upgrades being linked with the tablet, Apple will probably upgrade some of the traditional specs as well. Although the camera is expected to be frozen from previous generations, this means an improved processor, more RAM and storage are all likely.

As Apple continues its preparations for the release of the iPad Pro 3, it seems that some older models of the tablets could be rendered obsolete.

iPad obsolete

A new report claims that Apple will put its third-generation iPad out to pasture by the end of October. This is common practice for the consumer electronics giant, as new products come on to the market and replace their older brethren.

With the iPad Pro 3 on the horizon in the coming months, it seems that Apple is ready to drop support for one of its older tablets. MacRumors acquired an internal memo that had been distributed to Apple Authorised Service Providers which indicated that the decision is afoot.

It seems that both the Wi-Fi and cellular models of the third-generation iPad will imminently be classified as obsolete, except in California and Turkey where legal reasons will prevent this decision. This means Apple and Apple Authorised Service Providers will no longer be required to repair or service the tablet, as it is now over five years old.

This change is expected to go live on October 31, 2017, as Apple readies itself for the iPad Pro range. This has effectively replaced the traditional tablet, which had been so successful for Apple and established the iPad as an iconic product for the corporation.

Best Buy slashes prices

Meanwhile, there is a further indication that the iPad Pro 3 is coming based on the retail prices of previous Apple products. Best Buy has just decided to slash the price of both the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch models of the iPad Pro.

With $150 being cut from both of the tablets’ retail price, this could be an excellent time to pick up the third-generation iPad Pro unit. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro now starts at a price tag of $524.99, while the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro is offered for an entry-level $649.99.

To sweeten the deal still further, Best Buy is willing to offer a free Apple Pencil stylus with orders of the larger model. It is important to note, though, that this offer is not available online currently, as the retailer appears to have sold out.

4K mooted

The iPad Pro 3 is expected to introduce a 4K resolution screen when it is released, with Apple acknowledging the increasing prominence of this technology. Apple has already armed one of his desktop iMac computers with a display of this pixel resolution, and now the iPad Pro 3 is ready to follow suit.

There’s no more word on the release date for the iPad Pro 3, though, with Apple following an unusually irregular release schedule for its tablet computers. It is unlikely that the tablet will emerge this year, though, with a release date sometime around June 2018 more likely.

The iPad Pro 3 will be landing in the coming months, as a replacement for the iPad Pro 10.5 and the iPad Pro 12.9. These two latest tablet releases emerged in 2017, and were effectively considered the iPad Pro 2 in all but name.

While both of these devices represented more than adequate updates, many consumers would still like the iPad Pro 3 to deliver far more than its predecessors. Neither device can be considered an adequate laptop replacement, so big productivity changes could be afoot for the next iPad Pro release.

So here is our wish list of everything that Apple could and should include in this next-generation tablet.

iPad Pro 3 release date and price

Apple has resisted the temptation to switch to a yearly upgrade cycle with its iPad tablets, but it would be nice if there was more of a regular schedule for the iconic iPad range. The original iPad Pro was launched back in November 2015, this was quickly followed by another release in March 2016.

Two further iPad Pro units landed in June last year, which is indicative of the irregular release schedule for this device. It would be nice to think that the iPad Pro 3 could usher in a new approach, with Apple releasing tablets on a 12-month cycle.

Additionally, pricing for the iPad Pro 3 could be more affordable than previous releases. The general consensus of opinion regarding the most recent iPad Pro units is that while they are undoubtedly market-leading tablets, the recommended retail price of these slates can be considered somewhat excessive.

At the very least, Apple could freeze the price of the iPad Pro 3 when it hits the stores, meaning that the retail price could be around $649 in the United States.

Size

The likelihood is that Apple will not introduce any new versions of the iPad Pro 3 in size terms, but it would be nice to think that a monster tablet could appear. With Apple and other manufacturers now identifying innovative ways to slim down the bezels in devices, a super-large iPad Pro 3 in excess of 13-inches wouldn’t necessarily need to be massive and unwieldy.

Apple should certainly give this some serious consideration, although it is more likely that we will see a similar size tablet to that which has been released previously.

iPad Pro Camera

Photographic capabilities are never high on the list of priorities for tablet devices, but why shouldn’t Apple improve the snapper included in the iPad Pro 3? Although the 12-megapixel and 7- megapixel rear and front cameras included in the iPad Pro recently are more than decent, it wouldn’t hurt Apple to include at least one dual-lens camera.

geralt / Pixabay

4K display

Apple could seriously improve the iPad Pro 3 by including a 4K screen, something it has already embraced with its desktop iMac range. Considering that tablets are often used to view media, particularly on holidays, it would make perfect sense for Apple to ensure that the display is as impressive as possible.

Water resistance

Apple has ensured that its range of smartphones are water resistant, but it has bizarrely resisted this is the iPad range. Although tablets are arguably more durable than smartphones, it would still be useful if the iPad Pro 3 could be utilized more readily in rainy conditions.

Productivity

Although Apple has strongly pushed the potential of the iPad Pro range as a productivity device, the reality is that they are hardly laptop replacements as of yet. Considerably more power is required if this is to be achieved, and this should be top of the list for Apple if it wants consumers to take the iPad Pro 3 seriously as a productivity machine.

The iOS operating system could also be seriously improved in this department, while more affordable peripherals would also certainly help the situation.

Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay

Touch ID

There has been a vast amount of debate over the iPhone range and its potential to deliver an integrated fingerprint scanner. Indeed, several other smartphone manufacturers have also been linked with similar technology, most notably Samsung, but none of the major players in the smartphone industry has chosen to take the plunge as of yet.

Nonetheless, this debate could begin all over again with the iPad Pro 3, with the potential for Apple to include the Touch ID system within the display of this tablet. This would make the iPad Pro third generation considerably more flexible and user-friendly, and it would seem to be a no-brainer from a practical perspective. Whether Apple is actually interested in doing this, and also whether it may encounter logistical difficulties, remains open to debate.

Battery life

Yes, it’s the older battery life chestnut! If there is one continual criticism of Apple devices it is that they deliver an insufficient amount of battery life cycle. Unfortunately, the iPad Pro range is no exception to this rule, and it would be a wonderful step in the right direction if the iPad Pro 3 was to improve on the performance of previous devices.

There is no particular reason why this relatively straightforward slate computer should sap its battery cell quite so rapidly, and even if Apple does include a 4K OLED screen in the iPad Pro 3 generation, it could still improve the battery life of the device.

New Design of iPad Pro 3

Yes, it is slightly sacrilegious to suggest that Apple should abandon a design that has seen the iPad establish itself as the doyen of tablet computers. But even the classics can become dated, and a slightly updated design for the iPad Pro 3 would be welcome, particularly if Apple were to embrace curved corners and reduced bezels.

Sales of the iPad have stagnated in recent years, and this could to some extent be a reflection of the fact that the design of the unit has similarly stood still. Internal aspects are obviously important, but the iPad established itself as such an iconic tablet owing to its sexy nature. Apple needs to pay heed to aesthetics once more when the iPad Pro 3 hits the stores.